It felt safe to stay small and stay in the shadows.
I didn’t very often speak up. I didn’t like, post or comment anything on social media that would hint at anything personal. I didn’t ever want to be flashy, stand out, or cause a ruckus.
I considered myself a “wind beneath the wings” type person…much better at supporting and encouraging someone else, than putting myself out there.
I was ok with that, the world needs the supporters and encouragers… but now I can see it’s where I was hiding.
4 years ago I started my new life on my own. It took me a few years to figure out that staying small meant exactly that. My life was smaller, my social circles were smaller, and my influence was getting smaller and smaller.
So now I’m doing it differently.
I’m learning how to let my light shine.
I now like and comment and encourage and support as much as I can on social media (even though sometimes it still makes me queasy). I show up and speak up even if I cringe later about something I said.
I’m sharing my work…quietly but consistently.
We all want to make a difference in this life, and we are all here to build this world and this life, make it better and hopefully leave our mark.
But it’s very hard to make a difference if you don’t let the world know you exist in all of your glory, faults and idiosyncrasies.
It’s scary to put yourself out there, trust me I know. But that’s where you grow, meet new people and begin to create a life you want.
I know you are staying small too. Because that’s what we do. We think someone else deserves the light or would do a better job than we can.
But like Zig Ziglar said…anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly until you can do it better.
Don’t shy away. Be brave. Be you.
And then watch how the world conspires to help and the path lights up.